José Manuel Ramos-Horta (Portuguese pronunciation:[ʒuˈzɛˈʁɐ̃muzˈɔɾtɐ]; born 26 December 1949)[1][2] is an East Timorese politician who has been the seventhpresident of East Timor since 2022, having previously been the fourth president from 2007 to 2012. He was a co-recipient of the 1996Nobel Peace Prize, along withCarlos Filipe Ximenes Belo, for working "towards a just and peaceful solution to the conflict in East Timor".
As a founder and former member ofFretilin, Ramos-Horta served as the exiled spokesman for the East Timorese resistance during theIndonesian occupation of East Timor (1975–1999). While he continued to work with Fretilin, he resigned from the party in 1988, becoming anindependent politician.[3]
After East Timor achieved independence in 2002, Ramos-Horta was appointed as the country's first foreign minister. He served in this position until his resignation on 25 June 2006, amidstpolitical turmoil. On 26 June 2006, following the resignation of Prime MinisterMari Alkatiri, Ramos-Horta was appointed as acting prime minister by PresidentXanana Gusmão. Two weeks later, on 10 July 2006, he was sworn in as the second prime minister of East Timor. He waselected as President in 2007. On 11 February 2008, he was shot during anassassination attempt.
Ramos-Horta was born in 1949 inDili, the capital of East Timor. He is ofMestiço ethnicity,[4] born to a Portuguese father and Portuguese-Timorese mother. Both his father (Francisco Horta) and maternal grandfather (Arsénio José Filipe) were deported to Timor by Portuguese authorities. He was educated in aCatholic mission in the small village ofSoibada, later chosen by Fretilin as its headquarters after theIndonesian invasion. Of his eleven brothers and sisters, four were killed by theIndonesian military.
He has been a Senior Associate Member of the University of Oxford'sSt Antony's College since 1987 and speaks five languages fluently:Portuguese,English,French,Spanish, and the most commonly spoken East Timorese language,Tetum.[8]
Ramos-Horta is divorced fromAna Pessoa Pinto, East Timor's Minister for State and Internal Administration, with whom he has a son, Loro Horta, who was born in exile inMozambique.[9]
Ramos-Horta was actively involved in the development of political awareness in Portuguese Timor, which caused him to be exiled for two years in 1970–1971 toPortuguese East Africa. His grandfather, before him, had also been exiled, fromPortugal to theAzores Islands, thenCape Verde,Portuguese Guinea and finally to Portuguese Timor.
A moderate in the emerging Timorese nationalist leadership, Ramos-Horta was appointedForeign Minister in the "Democratic Republic of East Timor" government proclaimed by the pro-independence parties in November 1975. When appointed minister, Ramos-Horta was only 25 years old. Three days before the Indonesian troops invaded, Ramos-Horta left East Timor to plead the Timorese case before the UN.
Ramos-Horta arrived in New York to address theUN Security Council and urge them to take action in the face of the Indonesian occupation during which an estimated 102,000 East Timorese would die.[10] Ramos-Horta was the Permanent Representative of Fretilin to the UN for the next ten years. His friends at that time mentioned that he arrived in the United States with a total of $25 in his pocket. His financial situation was often precarious during that period. He survived partly by the grace of Americans who admired his politics and his determination. Furthermore, he was obliged to travel worldwide to explain his party's position.
In 1993, theRafto Prize was awarded to the people of East Timor. Foreign-minister-in-exile Ramos-Horta represented his nation at the prize ceremony. In May 1994,Philippine PresidentFidel Ramos (no relation), bowing to pressure fromJakarta, tried to ban an international conference on East Timor inManila and blacklisted Ramos-Horta, with the Thai government following suit later that year by declaring himpersona non grata.[11]
In December 1996, Ramos-Horta shared theNobel Peace Prize with fellow TimoreseBishop Ximenes Belo. The Nobel Committee chose to honour the two laureates for their "sustained efforts to hinder the oppression of a small people", hoping that "this award will spur efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict of East Timor based on the people's right toself-determination". OnThe InnerView, Ramos-Horta said that he utilises the Nobel Peace Prize as a vehicle to advocate on behalf of his country, as well as for the Palestinians and the people of Myanmar.[12]
The Committee considered Ramos-Horta "the leading international spokesman for East Timor's cause since 1975".[13]
Ramos-Horta played a leading role in negotiating the institutional foundations for independence. He led the Timorese delegation at an important joint workshop with UNTAET on 1 March 2000 to tease out a new strategy, and identify institutional needs. The outcome was an agreed blueprint for a joint administration with executive powers, including leaders of theNational Congress for Timorese Reconstruction (CNRT). Further details were worked out in a conference in May 2000. TheSpecial Representative of the UN Secretary-General in East Timor,Sérgio Vieira de Mello, presented the new blueprint to a donor conference in Lisbon,[14] on 22 June 2000, and to the UN Security Council on 27 June 2000.[15] On 12 July 2000, the NCC adopted a regulation establishing a Transitional Cabinet composed of four East Timorese and four UNTAET representatives.[16] A further conference on the building of a new nation state was held on April 2001, organised by theInternational Institute of Asian Studies inLeiden and the Platform for Asian Studies inAmsterdam, inThe Hague in the Netherlands. He attended with diplomatPascoela Barreto.[17] The revamped joint administration successfully laid the institutionalfoundations for independence, and on 27 September 2002, East Timor joined the United Nations. Ramos-Horta was its first Foreign Minister.
On 3 June 2006, Ramos-Horta added the post of Interim Minister of Defense to his portfolio as Foreign Minister, in the wake of the resignations of the previous minister.[18] He resigned as both Foreign and Defence Minister on 25 June 2006, announcing, "I do not wish to be associated with the present government or with any government involvingAlkatiri."[19] Prime Minister Alkatiri had been under pressure to resign his position in place of PresidentXanana Gusmão, but in a 25 June meeting, leaders of the Fretilin party agreed to keep Alkatiri as prime minister; Ramos-Horta resigned immediately following this decision.[20]Foreign Minister of AustraliaAlexander Downer expressed his personal disappointment at Ramos-Horta's resignation.[21] Following Alkatiri's resignation on 26 June, Ramos-Horta withdrew his resignation to contest the prime ministership and served in the position on a temporary basis until a successor to Alkatiri was named.[22] On 8 July 2006, Ramos-Horta himself was appointed prime minister by President Gusmão.[23] He was sworn in on 10 July.
Before his appointment as prime minister, Ramos-Horta was considered a possible candidate to succeedKofi Annan asUnited Nations Secretary-General.[24] He dropped out of the race in order to serve as East Timor's Prime Minister, but he has indicated that he might run for the UN position at some time in the future: "I can wait five years if I am really interested in the job in 2012. I would be interested in that."[25]
In an interview withAl Jazeera broadcast on 22 February 2007, Ramos-Horta said that he would run for president in theApril 2007 election.[26] On 25 February 2007, Ramos-Horta formally announced his candidacy. He received the support of Gusmão, who was not running for re-election.[27] In an interview withGlobal South Development Magazine, Ramos-Horta revealed thatMahatma Gandhi was his greatest hero.[28]
In the first round of the election, held on 9 April, Ramos-Horta took second place with 21.81% of the vote; he and Fretilin candidateFrancisco Guterres, who took first place, then participated in the second round of the election in May.[29] The full results of the runoff elections were made public by East Timor's National Electoral Committee spokeswoman, Maria Angelina Sarmento, on 11 May, and Ramos-Horta won with 69.18% of the vote.[30]
On 11 February 2008, Ramos-Horta was shot in an assassination attempt. In the gun skirmish, one of his guards was wounded, and two rebel soldiers, including rebel leaderAlfredo Reinado, were killed.[32][33] Ramos-Horta was treated at anAustralian Defence Force hospital in Dili operated byAspen Medical,[34] before being transferred to theRoyal Darwin Hospital in Australia on board an Aspen Medical air ambulance for further treatment.[35] Doctors thought that he had been shot two or three times with the most serious injury being to his right lung.[36] His condition was listed as critical but stable.[37] He was placed in aninduced coma on fulllife support,[38] and regained consciousness on 21 February.[39] A message from Ramos-Horta, still recovering in Darwin, was broadcast on 12 March. In this message, he thanked his supporters and Australia and said that he had "been very well looked after". A spokesman said that his condition was improving and that he had started taking short daily walks for exercise.[40]
Ramos-Horta was released from the Royal Darwin Hospital on 19 March, although he said that he would stay in Australia forphysical therapy for "a few more weeks". He also said on this occasion that he had remained conscious following the shooting and "remember[ed] every detail", describing how he was taken for treatment.[41] On 17 April, he returned to Dili from Darwin. He gave a press conference at the airport in which he urged the remaining rebels in the mountains to surrender.[42]
During the first round of the presidential elections of 2012, held on 17 March, Ramos-Horta, who was eligible for a second and final term as president, took third place with 19.43% of the vote behind the presidential candidatesFrancisco Guterres with 27.28% andTaur Matan Ruak 24.17% of the vote. He admitted defeat,[43] and his term as president ended on 19 May, with the inauguration of Taur Matan Ruak as his successor.[44][45]
Ramos-Horta came out of retirement as he stated that incumbent president Francisco “Lu-Olo” Guterres had violated the constitution.[46] He stated that if he won the presidential election, he would dissolve parliament and call for new elections.[46][47] His campaign was supported byXanana Gusmão, who was dubbed the "Kingmaker of Timor Leste".[46][48] Ramos-Horta ran on a platform of poverty reduction, increasing healthcare services for mothers and children, as well as increasing job creation.[48] He also stated that he wanted to try and improve communication across the governing political parties for the purposes of increasing stability.[48] In addition, he stated his intention on working with the government to address supply chain issues from the ongoingCOVID-19 pandemic andRussian invasion of Ukraine.[49] The runoff was between Ramos-Horta, and the incumbentFrancisco Guterres. In the runoff Ramos-Horta received 62.10% of the vote and defeated Guterres in a landslide, who received 37.90% percent of the vote.[50] Speaking to supporters in a rally, Ramos-Horta proclaimed: "I have received this mandate from our people, from the nation in an overwhelming demonstration of our people's commitment to democracy."[51] He added he had not spoken to Guterres personally after the win but had received an invitation from Guterres' office to discuss a handover of power following the election.[49][51]
TheUnited States Department of State congratulated Ramos-Horta on his election as Timor-Leste’s next president and looked forward to strengthen the partnership between the United States and Timor-Leste. In a statement, they praised the election, stating; "We commend Timorese authorities, including the Technical Secretariat for Electoral Administration and the National Elections Commission, for administering a free, fair, and transparent election and the hundreds of thousands of Timorese voters who cast their ballots peacefully. Timor-Leste’s election serves as an inspiration for democracy in Southeast Asia, the Indo-Pacific region, and the world. This achievement represents another milestone in Timor-Leste’s tremendous work to build and strengthen its robust, vibrant democracy over its nearly 20-year history as an independent nation."[52] His victory was also congratulated by the President of PortugalMarcelo Rebelo de Sousa giving "the warmest congratulations on the election as president of the Republic of Timor-Leste".[46]
Following the2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'état, he offered to mediate the conflict. He also served as the UN special envoy to the country.[54]
He is the author of the bookWords of Hope in Troubled Times.[55]
Ramos-Horta has served as Chairman of the Advisory Board for TheCommunity.com, a web site for peace and human rights, since 2000. In 2001 he gathered the post 9/11 statements of 28 Nobel Peace Prize Laureates on the web site,[56] and has spearheaded other peace initiatives with his fellow Nobel Laureates.
In May 2009 Ramos-Horta stated that he would ask theInternational Criminal Court to investigate theruling junta of Myanmar if they continue to detain fellow Nobel LaureateAung San Suu Kyi.[59] Ramos-Horta suggested that Suu Kyi’s inability to express her frustration with the treatment of Rohingya Muslims was due to the fact that she lacked the political power to effect change.[12]
However, by August 2010, he had softened his views onMyanmar, warmly receiving the Myanmar Foreign MinisterNyan Win, and said that he wanted to improve relations and seek strong commercial ties with Myanmar.[60]
Ramos-Horta is a Member of theGlobal Leadership Foundation, an organization which works to support democratic leadership, prevent and resolve conflict through mediation and promote good governance in the form of democratic institutions, open markets, human rights and the rule of law. It does so by making available, discreetly and in confidence, the experience of former leaders to today's national leaders. It is a not-for-profit organization composed of former heads of government, senior governmental and international organization officials who work closely with Heads of Government on governance-related issues of concern to them.
In August 2017, ten Nobel Peace Prize laureates, including Ramos-Horta, urgedSaudi Arabia to stop the executions of 14 young people for participating in the2011–12 Saudi Arabian protests.[63]
In 2021 Ramos-Horta joined the judging committee for the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity, an annual award instituted "to promote human fraternity values around the world and to fulfill the aspirations of the Document on Human Fraternity, co-signed by His Holiness Pope Francis and His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Professor Ahmed Al-Tayeb in 2019". The first meeting of the committee was held in the Vatican with Pope Francis on 6 October 2021.[64]
^A detailed statistical report prepared for theCommission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation in East Timor cited a lower range of 102,800 conflict-related deaths in the period 1974–1999, namely, approximately 18,600 killings and 84,200 'excess' deaths from hunger and illness.Benetech Human Rights Data Analysis Group (9 February 2006)."The Profile of Human Rights Violations in Timor-Leste, 1974–1999".A Report to the Commission on Reception, Truth and Reconciliation of Timor-Leste. Human Rights Data Analysis Group (HRDAG). Archived fromthe original on 29 May 2012. Retrieved12 February 2008.
^Jolliffe, Jill (12 February 2008)."Ramos-Horta shot twice".The Sydney Morning Herald.Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved11 August 2023.
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